The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi


We Meet Again

Valey and Felicity followed the battered pegasus from the edge of the woods, tracing her as she limped into one of the more-recused shelters and gingerly lay down. Almost immediately, her eyes closed to slits, but she was still conscious and on guard.

Wait here, Valey motioned with a wing, telling her companion to hold back. She slithered forward, submerging completely as she moved between the shelters, noting that about a third of the encampment seemed to be sleeping. Must have been hard to coordinate sleep schedules when the world was without sun or moon, only a perpetual state of clouds and dusk...

It didn't take long to reach the pegasus's open, rough-made tent. What did take time was figuring out how to approach her: Valey didn't need her cutie mark to tell someone like this would see sarosian long before they saw Valey. And even if they recognized her, what were the odds their first thought would be of the tunnels and nearly dying rather than that they were now supposed to be friends?

Fortunately, she was good at holding her breath, having practiced it extensively in Ironridge shadow sneaking for unsavory purposes. As she sat, watching the pegasus through her distorted underground vision, they finally licked their lips and seemed to settle a little more.

"Pssst," Valey risked, speaking from where she couldn't see her rise.

Her target's ears snapped up. "Who goes there?" the pegasus breathed, visibly stiffer but not moving her head.

"Don't freak out. I'm a friend. Was flying over in an airship, saw a signal and came down to check it out."

That was the right thing to say. Slowly, the pegasus turned to face her, and Valey floated just high enough that her head was visible. The moment their eyes met, she gasped and stumbled to her hooves, eyes constricting and breath quickening in fear... but she didn't yell or flee.

"Everything alright in there, Harshwater?" a voice called from several shelters away.

"S-Shut up!" Harshwater's head snapped backwards to glare at whoever had spoken. "I don't have nightmares!" She quickly turned to look back at Valey, breathing nervously and looking even more bruised and harried now that Valey saw her up close. "This is a trick. But they're not that crafty. I don't believe this."

Valey gently shrugged. "Don't freak out. It's really me. We're on the same side, right?" She tilted her head. "Bananas, you look nasty."

Harshwater slowly scrutinized her, breaths returning to normal. "Maybe we should go do this in the forest," she uncertainly murmured, tail twitching. "If you had been seen by anyone but me, they would freak out."

Valey nodded, submerging again and beckoning toward the forest.

Crawling out of the shelter, Harshwater limped off toward the trees, letting Valey follow on her own. She didn't go too far in, enough that a yell could easily reach the camp, then sat down and sighed to no one. "I don't know if you're the last pony I ever wanted to see again, or the first," she said as way of greeting.

"Hey." Valey rose out of the shadows, sitting across from her. "Long time no see, I guess. Looks like life after Ironridge hasn't been kind to you."

"Tell me about it," Harshwater muttered, reluctant to start explaining and still putting herself at ease.

"Ahem." Felicity's voice softly cleared its throat from near Valey, though she didn't show herself. "Probably your conversation, darling," she whispered. "I'll keep watch nearby."

Harshwater's gaze snapped to the spot. "Who else is there?"

Valey nudged the ground, and Felicity uncertainly rose halfway up. "A friend, I assure you. I'm with Valey."

"Yeah..." Harshwater regarded her, breathing starting to quicken again. "Listen, I kind of have some extreme issues and reactions and phobias regarding batponies lately, so as a show of faith, could you go over there? Like, reeeally far over that way?"

Felicity respectfully nodded and slipped away.

"...So." Valey didn't try to make eye contact, since Harshwater obviously wasn't interested. "What kinds of things do I need to know? First off, are we friends? I kinda recall your name, so I'm guessing you were one of the ones that hung out with us when I returned with all my friends."

"First off?" Harshwater gave her a sharp look. "I still have nightmares. About the Flame District. And you. Don't tell anyone I still have an image to protect with, if it'll ever matter. So when I say seeing you is a relief, that's what things have been like here." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "Please tell me you're more trustworthy than in Ironridge."

"I've been making an effort," Valey replied. "So what's up with you?"

Harshwater looked briefly shameful, ears going limp. "I... also might owe you another apology. For the Flame District," she admitted. "I think I've been getting a closer idea than I ever wanted how we made you feel down there, only drawn out over a few weeks instead of an evening. I don't know, it's hard to track time down here. So... sorry."

"You wanna tell me about it?" Valey kept her posture upright and forelegs loose, unable to tell whether Harshwater was going to back away from her or badly need a hug.

"I'm getting myself together! I'm getting there," Harshwater rebuked. "Give me time, okay? This is... ugh..." She trembled, then glanced up at Valey out of the corner of her eye. "So there are some batponies who live around here, and all of them are really aggressive for no reason. They haven't talked to us since I got here, and everyone else says they're really bad at speaking non-batpony. But they attack everyone and hate everything we try to do. I can sort of fight them all at once the way you fought us, and apparently they used to raid this camp and are only scared off now that I'm here, but every time I try to go flying anywhere on my own they gang up and try to pick me off. Everyone here was shipwrecked a while ago and are trying to build a new boat to escape, but they don't want to let us do that, either. Every time they have raided, it's usually to target that... I've taken a lot of them, but nopony here wants to go on the offensive and I'm getting worn down faster than they are. I really don't want to die in a place like this..."

Valey blinked, nodding slowly. "Well... bananas. There's some stuff in there that doesn't really make sense, but-"

Harshwater uncertainly sidled closer. "I bet you could clear all of them out with two hooves tied behind your back."

"Yeah, I probably could," Valey admitted, looking over Harshwater's injuries. "So, like... what happens when you fight them? How'd you get all roughed up like that? Just punches and stuff? Getting things thrown at you?"

Harshwater nodded. "If you're asking about Mistvale Monks, I don't think they know how to do that. I thought I was done for the first time they ambushed me, but they were just normal blows. And I can take a hit or three. Just not three hundred..."

"So I'm guessing you want my help," Valey said, putting on the beginnings of a smirk. "Look, I've still got a little investigating to do, but I do get how you feel, and bananas, you're right. No one should die in a place like this."

"I'll give you anything." Harshwater gave her a serious look. "I mean it. I'm... I'm in deep water, here. I can only show off for them because I need their morale high so they'll help me. Absolutely anything. I'm desperate." Her eyes unfocused a little. "Are you still a shameless flirt? I remember you hitting on me in Ironridge. I'd... I'd even give you a kiss if you got me out of this. Or join up with you and go with you. You'll have spared my life when we were fighting and then saved it here. Please, Valey."

Valey listened with her mouth slightly ajar, then nodded. "Okay, look. That other batpony who's here, my friend? She can translate. I've got this sound stone, so I can call in and talk to my friends on our ship. Those other batponies visited our ship while we were flying over and asked as nicely as they could for us to please keep flying, so, like... I'm not leaving, and I'll see what I can do."

"Ohh thank you." Harshwater sagged, shoulders starting to tremble. "I'm... I'm not quite on my last legs, but if there's fighting, do you mind if I sit out a little? My whole body really isn't feeling so good."

"Uh, yeah, it kind of looks that way." Valey raised an eyebrow. "Take care of yourself, girl. You wanna go back to your camp, or stick around? I'm gonna call my friends and tell them what's up, and we'll figure out a plan on what to do."

Harshwater hesitated. "Umm... your friends wouldn't happen to include Shinespark, right? Out of total curiosity?" At Valey's look, she elaborated, "A lot of these ponies are either merchants and traders or guards hired to protect them on the road, and she's a big name in Ironridge. Just thinking."

"Yep. She's with us," Valey said, catching on and nodding. "Gerardo, Maple, Amber, Starlight... not too many you wouldn't know, actually. Anyway. I take it you're going back to camp?"

"Yeah, I have some convincing to do," Harshwater murmured. "Just... Just remember, you don't even have to do a lot. Even if your ship isn't big enough for thirty-odd ponies, if you can just take out the local batponies or make them leave us alone, it'll be enough."

"I'll keep it in mind," Valey promised as Harshwater retreated, reaching into her saddlebags for her mana battery and sound stone.